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When beloved Australian radio host Jackie O posed for a snap with friend and singer Lewis Capaldi on December 9, ahead of his Sydney show, she had fans on social media doing a double take.
Jackie – one half of KIIS FM’s Kyle and Jackie O Show – stepped out sporting plump glossy lips, a freshly-layered hair style and an understated all-white shirt and shorts ensemble.
“Love him so much,” Jackie captioned the snap she shared on her Instagram Stories.
The pair posed arm-in-arm for the photo, with Jackie, 50, oozing the signature laid-back glamour that’s had followers glued to her social media pages for months.
Indeed, Jackie herself told T Magazine in October that the past year had seen her “shedding that final skin” after going public about a former addiction to painkillers in late 2024.
“I’ve definitely had a lot of growth in that time,” Jackie told the outlet, adding that the aftermath of her confession didn’t follow the path she’d thought it would.
“I thought [addiction] would be the one thing that’s attached to my name from that point on, but it doesn’t seem to be the case.”
It’s been quite the opposite, in fact. Jackie has undergone something of a personal rebrand – and her transformation continues to transfix fans far and wide.
Nabbing a new stylist in the form of the coveted professional Jess Pecoraro has only boosted her profile.
After sharing her rehab journey – and denying claims she had turned to Ozempic to lose weight -the star began being snapped in some seriously chic outfits, buoyed by the glow-up that came from embracing a sober life.
Today, the star’s Instagram snaps regularly garner reactions from friends who describe her as “stunning”, “incredible”, and a “spunk”.
Jackie describes her evolution as “an internal and external transformation”.
“I actually really enjoy living a sober life — I like all the benefits that come with that,” she told T Magazine. “There are times when I look at friends drinking and celebrating, and I do have those moments of, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to just have two glasses of Champagne and feel what they’re feeling?’
“But at the same time, I think when you’re in good company and you’re enjoying yourself, you realise you actually don’t need it, surprisingly.”
Along with Jackie’s new chapter, has come a fresh approach to love – and a determination not to shy away from what she wants.
Back in 2021, Jackie became emotional as she discussed what she missed most about her “old life” with ex-husband, photographer Lee Henderson.
“I’d just love to sit at the dinner table with someone and have dinner, that’s what I yearn for and that’s the thing that I miss most about my old life,” she told host Jess Rowe.
“It’s a funny thing what we miss. It can be the littlest things, you know, and for me it’s having that family time at the dinner table; that used to be my favourite part of the day.
“So I don’t have that now and I think I will get that back, but as I said I want to wait, you know, a little bit longer. And then maybe down the track I will fall in love. That would be nice.”
But in 2025 – having dated throughout 2024 – the star decided she “didn’t want to go looking for it any more”.
“So this year I decided if it’s meant to be, it’ll cross my path,” Jackie told T Magazine.
And if recent events are anything to go by, it seems the approach may have spawned a fledgling new romance.
On December 2, when Jackie failed to show on her KIIS FM breakfast show due to a case of the flu, her co-host Kyle Sandilands quipped, “She must have had the boyfriend over”.
“Now let me clear things up,” the shock jock went on. “If you’ve been listening to this show, Jackie seems to have got herself a fella on the sly. We all have to pretend like it doesn’t happen.
“I don’t know why. Maybe she actually wants this one to work out. Because in the past, maybe I’ve piled onto these blokes who have come along.”
It was a rare moment of reflection perhaps from the man known for his brash on-air persona, but there’s no denying Kyle wants his on-air partner to flourish both personally and professionally.
He put it succinctly in a 60 Minutes interview that aired back in May 2020.
“I just wanted you to know that… if I died tomorrow, I’d just let you know that I love you, and it’s been wonderful.”
